I suggest you try visiting a gym?, such devices are commonplace, you can buy wristwatches that not only tell you the time, but also measure your heart rate and transmit it wirelessly to the different machines.
You want to measure heart rate, without touching the subject in anyway. Point a device at the subject, and pulse rate is displayed? Don't think it can be done accurately.
Are you looking for heart rate monitor solution by using chest belt sensor which like Polar............ For more details, please visit the website at : http://www.spark-hk.com
Heart rate is measured in the polar sensors by measuring the voltage differential on the skins surface from the impulses of the beating of the heart.
These impulses are in the microvolt range and are usually detected by analog amplifiers with a 0.1-20Hz bandwidth. Simple detectors then use a peak detector to track the signal's varying amplitude and trip at say 90% of peak to register a heartbeat of 1-2Hz.
This is problematic in health clubs since on treadmills as soon as the runner breaks gate in to a jog he leaves the treadmill ( a crude but effective Van de Graff generator ) charged with kilovolts effectively pulling apart the plates of a capacitor ( himself and the frame of the treadmill ) causing a 10s of kilovolts spikes on a microvolt signal in you are looking at one of the handlebar pickups.
Question for cadstarsucks: I'm old enough I don't jog these days but do use the treadmill and am quite frustrated with the machine grip type HRM. Do the chest strap type HRM work OK. I assume they do as I see some people using them. Can you recommend a very inexpensive one, and source - I only need the heart rate display.
Question for cadstarsucks: I'm old enough I don't jog these days but do use the treadmill and am quite frustrated with the machine grip type HRM. Do the chest strap type HRM work OK. I assume they do as I see some people using them. Can you recommend a very inexpensive one, and source - I only need the heart rate display.
I've never used one, but I've seen a number of gym members who did,and they work fine, transmitting wirelessly to the machine. You can also buy wristwatches that measure your pulse and transmit it to the machine as well.
Personally I was always happy with the hand grips though!.
Thanks for the input Nigel. Maybe its the machines I'm using at the local Y which have some age on them but the count from the hand grips jumps around eratically or no count at all on many even though the "red heart" indicator flashes, usually eratically. There is one machine, of 8 or so, that does a fairly good job some of the time. But I like to swing my arms too so the grip type becomes a problem there.
Thanks for the input Nigel. Maybe its the machines I'm using at the local Y which have some age on them but the count from the hand grips jumps around eratically or no count at all on many even though the "red heart" indicator flashes, usually eratically. There is one machine, of 8 or so, that does a fairly good job some of the time. But I like to swing my arms too so the grip type becomes a problem there.
Sounds like the machines are a bit knackered! - or perhaps you're having heart problems?
Generally I found no need to keep my hands on the grips all the time, just replace them occasionally to get a reading - or keep them there if doing a fitness (or lack of it) test!. Sometimes I found it was better not to know!!!!!
Question for cadstarsucks: I'm old enough I don't jog these days but do use the treadmill and am quite frustrated with the machine grip type HRM. Do the chest strap type HRM work OK. I assume they do as I see some people using them. Can you recommend a very inexpensive one, and source - I only need the heart rate display.
The chest belts are wireless and work quite well, but as they are "professional" equipment I have my doubts about being able to find them at a reasonable price... and you still need the receiver.
I would recommend, if you are looking for a purchased item, one of the wrist watch styles.
If you are feeling daring and have the equipment to monitor your progress ( I did mention in another post about PC audio card "scope" software if anyone wants I think I still have somewhere on my machine at work, but I am not sure if the audio cards go to DC ) you can get a instrumentation amp and opamp filters to roll your own. Skin contact on either side of the heart is needed for the signal.
There are also light based ear and finger pickups, but I am not sure, off hand, where to get them.
If you are feeling daring and have the equipment to monitor your progress ( I did mention in another post about PC audio card "scope" software if anyone wants I think I still have somewhere on my machine at work, but I am not sure if the audio cards go to DC )
Interesting...I had not heard of the sound card hacks. This one was a free software scope... I have actually seen scope projects around that talk to A/D chips connect to the printer port.